Air heat exchanger’s

So the grant will offer £5k to offset the cost of replacing a gas boiler with an air heat exchanger.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58959045
This I hear is to bring the cost of the exchanger down to that of a gas boiler. At least it’s something of a road map to getting us off gas but … where’s the announcement of how the less well off are to be upgraded first? Where’s the insulation announcement?
Also like millions I’m using a combi boiler and have no hot water tank. So to move over I’ll need new shower, a tank in the attic and the associated plumbing. Total cost? Scary. £5k will not touch the sides
Best get training some apprentice plumbers!

 

Don't you also need a garden? Just had a quick look at ground source heat exchange and quotes were starting at £13k...

 

How does it work?

 

That’s the ground source ones. Most of us will have air heat exchangers.

 

I’m sure others will give a better explanation but it’s like a reverse fridge. The air from outside is stripped of heat, that heat is concentrated and used to heat water. It works even when Baltic outside. Gets water to 40 - 50 degrees, then you need to top the heat up with an immersion heater in the tank. Consumes electric do that needs to be green electric to de- carbonise.

 

Just starting to look into the detail of this and as ever, it looks an absolute shambles with little thought of practicality and resourcing.

As has been mentioned, you're talking £13k ish to change over. Thats before you consider the need for reworking parts of your home and redecorating to make it fit. The saving in cost is thought to be little over £100 a year. So the payback isn't immediately obvious.

The size of the units looks pretty significant, so I'm not sure just how you locate one into a typical terraced house.

The other thing that has been immediately highlighted is the fund will only assist 30,000 homes to obtain grants for this. Thats currently the existing annual market. For the shift to be done by 2035 (as put forward by the govt), circa 600,000 homes a year would be required to be converted.

Sadly another underfunded, poorly thought out, planless, pie in the sky pledge by a government that couldn't care less.

 

There are two problems with this though:

1) Heat pumps need well insulated homes to be of any use, and last year the government scrapped the insulation grant programme.

2) When it’s cold the amount of electricity needed will be both expensive and prevent sole use of green energy.

 

How does it strip heat when it's -5C? Don't get it

 

me neither. Science isn't my strong point!

 

not my words …
Heat pumps use the heat in the air or the ground around them as their main source of energy. They use a small amount of electricity to pull this energy out of the surroundings and into a heat exchanger, sometimes known as an evaporator. Within this heat exchanger, the heat is absorbed by a refrigerant, which evaporates and becomes a gas. The refrigerant can absorb heat even in extremely low temperatures of -20 °C, which is why heat pumps are able to work in cold climates.
This evaporated refrigerant is then compressed, which increases the temperature further. The gas can then transfer its heat into your home’s central heating system. When this happens, the refrigerant gradually cools down until it condenses to become a liquid again. This occurs in a second heat exchanger, otherwise known as the condenser. Within the condenser, cooler water from the central heating system can continue to absorb any heat, which is then pumped around your home through any radiators or underfloor heating. Alternatively, it can be used to provide your taps with hot water via a cylinder.

Finally, the cooler refrigerant passes through an expansion valve. The pressure decreases and the refrigerant returns to the evaporator for the whole process to begin again.

 

Totally agree, we have a government that don’t care about planning or detail.

 

I got an air-source heat pump to replace an old kerosene oil boiler my house had. Despite it’s green credentials, it costs a lot more than the old boiler to run (not even including the installation costs) due to the leap in electricity prices. I’d be thinking very carefully about the switch over.

 

Or incapable

 

QUOTE="RedKen-dal, post: 2830809, member: 122537"]Totally agree, we have a government that don’t care about planning or detail.[/QUOTE]
Leaders a good laugh though when he’s bungling and he’s racist , red wall love him .

 

Sounds complicated!

 

How is it in terms of actually heating the house. Have you noticed any differences other than cost?

 

Unless the cost of them comes down, you're right. 5k is probably half the total install cost. Plus you have to have the units outside that need to be stood on a concrete base, and as you said, an unvented cylinder somewhere in the house. And electric shower isn't necessary, but I'd always recommend one, because if either your gas boiler or your air source heat pump fails, you've still got a source of hot water.
We fitted about 60 five years ago, and they do work well. You've just got to get used to keeping your property at a constant temperature to keep them economical

 

It’s less immediate so slower to heat up. Works well on a timer but you need to plan in advance if you are coming back off holiday etc. As others have also mentioned, the one I have is about half the size of a washing machine (narrow but long) and is installed on a concrete base. I’m not sure if the newer ones are a bit more flexible in installation.

 

My next door neighbours are having theirs fitted tomorow.
Cost £13.000 grant £11,000. He has to stump up the monies up front and the grant is paid in stages. This price includes the cost of new radiators...which have to replace his old ones.
He explained that you have to radically educate yourself on how to heat your home as the most economic way to do this is by constant temperature and not banging it up or down all the time.
He told me it works like a refrigerator in reverse (it produces heat), i think there are better explanations on this thread previously.
I wasnt convinced tbh.

 

I know you made good points and I seem to have homed in on one. But I thought this was predominantly an environmentally friendly solution not a cost saving solution.